State-Approved CNA Programs in Wilmington, Delaware

(found 8 schools, updated in February 2018)

Wilmington, DE has a large healthcare network, giving Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) many employment options in 2018 and beyond. They include the Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, St. Francis Healthcare and the Wilmington VA Medical Center. The Christiana Care Health System is one of the largest healthcare systems in the nation with two hospitals, outpatient clinics and various satellite locations located in Wilmington and around the state. There are also approximately two dozen long-term care and rehabilitation facilities offering CNA jobs in Wilmington.

CNA Education in Wilmington

Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city, is also the location of the largest number of Certified Nurse Aide programs in the state. As of 2018, there are 8 state-approved CNA classes in Wilmington offered by a variety of educational facilities. They include a community college, career institute, technical school, career institute, vocational tech facilities and high schools.

Students should only complete a state-approved training program in Wilmington. These programs have been evaluated and approved as meeting federal and state CNA requirements. Delaware’s requirements are more stringent than federal requirements. The state requires 150 training hours versus the federal government’s 75-hour minimum training hours. State-approved programs also have been reviewed for completeness in terms of teaching students required care standards and CNA skills. A third reason to complete only state-approved programs is that they teach students everything they need to know to pass the Delaware Nurse Aide Competency Exam.

Wilmington Job Corps Center

CNA Training Costs

The cost of training depends on the program chosen. For example, the New Castle County Vo-Tech Adult Education Division offers a state-approved nursing assistant program. The program cost of $700 includes the course fee, textbooks and the State of Delaware Certification Exam. Students must also purchase a uniform and a watch, and pay for drug screening, a criminal background check and health exam and immunizations.

The Nurse Maggie Certified Nursing Assistant program costs $2,550, but their website does not mention what is included in the fee. This is close to the $2,395 the Delaware Technical Community College charges for the CNA courses offered in Wilmington. This amount includes everything except health exam and immunizations.

It is always important to attend program orientation sessions or to discuss costs with program staff to ensure there is a clear understanding of what stated rates include and to identify any additional costs the student will incur. Nurse Aide students should always inquire about potential sources of school financial aid. Some training programs can offer financial assistance or have payment plans that make the cost of training affordable.

Training Funding Paths

The State of Delaware offers a variety of workforce training funding paths. The State of Delaware Department of Labor operates the Fox Valley American Job Center in Wilmington and may have information about workforce training funds. The Delaware Workforce Investment Board with the Delaware Department of Labor has Individual Training Account (ITA) forms on its website. The downloadable form is used to apply for training grants to help qualified students pay for approved education programs. Registering with the Delaware DOL’s Division of Employment & Training gives people interested in re-entering the labor market access to potential funding sources.

Possible Free Training

There are a couple of free training pathways. Qualified students can get free CNA training at the Wilmington Job Corps Center. One of the best ways to attend free CNA classes is to train at a Wilmington nursing home while working as a paid employee. The Department of Long Term Care Residents Protection (DLTCRP) in New Castle can provide individuals with a list of long-term care facilities that offer state-approved training in nursing homes. New Castle is a short 5.7 mile drive from Wilmington.

CNA Certification and Renewal in Wilmington

After completing a state-approved CNA program in Wilmington, an individual must take and pass the competency exam. Most people can take the CNA test where their training took place. Prometric also has regional test sites. There are currently five regional test sites, and the closest ones to Wilmington are Dawn Career in Newark (15 miles away) and Bear Professional Institute in Bear (13 miles away).

CNA certification in Delaware must be renewed every 24 months, and Prometric is the state-contracted company managing recertifications. Prometric has an online renewal application form. The employer signs the form, attesting to the fact the Certified Nursing Assistant has met work and completed required Continuing Education Units for recertification. The American Red Cross does not offer any CNA training programs in Delaware, but it is approved to offer CEUs for Certified Nursing Assistants. There are two DLTCRP addresses where the renewal application form can be mailed or delivered with fee payment. One of the addresses is in Milford, but the other is in Wilmington on Mill Road.

Salary and Job Outlook for CNAs in Wilmington

The median hourly wage for nursing assistants in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Area is $14.08, and that equates to a median annual salary of $29,290. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also tracks wages for the Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area of Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. In this wider employment area, the median hourly wage for nursing assistants is $13.80, and the median annual salary is $28,710. | See Job Openings

The nursing assistant occupation is in the top 10 occupations in Delaware with the most annual openings for 2014-2024. Wilmington is in New Castle County. The projected employment growth rate for New Castle County for the period 2014-2024 is 3.3 percent. | See Job Openings

Nearby Cities List

State-approved CNA programs in Delaware are available in the following cities near Wilmington: